A Night on the Town
by JmsBndsGrl
Summary: This was my English final last year, Tom Joad is having a bachelor party, put on by Nick Carraway, with Guy Montag, Edgar Allen Poe and The Rat Pack


Tom Joad's Bachelor Party  
  
The setting is the Sand's Hotel and Night Club in the 1950's. Nick  
Carraway is planning a bachelor party for Tom Joad who has met a  
quaint young lady while working out in a peach grove.  
Nick is currently sitting at the bar watching the bartender slowly  
wipe down the glasses with his bar towel.  
  
Bartender: Hey Mack, you're here a bit early aren't you?  
  
Nick: I'm here for a friend's bachelor party and I am the host.  
Can I get a drink please?  
  
The club is quite empty with very few people sitting around. Nick  
finishes off his drink and awaits the guest's arrival. A few minutes  
pass and the door leading to the club opens slowly. Nick watches  
intently as four bony fingers grip the side of the door. A slender  
figure finally slips inside and begins eyeing the walls. The man is on  
the skinny side with black hair and wearing a completely black suit.  
He slinks inside, and after a few brief stops on the way to the bar,  
and sits next to Nick. Nick stares a moment before speaking  
  
Nick: (holding out his hand) Welcome Edgar, still working by the  
ocean  
  
Poe: Nevermore.  
  
Nick: (tilts head down a bit) Ahh, what happened to that? It was  
like a kingdom by the sea.  
  
Poe: (becoming very depressed) My Annabel Lee, my Annabel Lee,  
she died at our kingdom by the sea.  
  
Nick: Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that.  
  
Edgar Allen Poe, not really paying any attention to what Nick has just  
said, goes into a screaming rant. Poe then flings himself under a  
nearby table, shivering and quietly whispering.  
  
Poe: (whispering) The raven, the raven is rapping and tapping at  
my chamber door.  
  
Nick watches Poe in shear confusion and slight horror. Nick then  
realizes what Poe is flipping out about. There is a  
  
knocking sound at the club door and some low voices chattering behind  
it. Nick gets up and stops before passing Edgar. He looks at him for a  
brief moment and the keeps walking. When he reaches the door he  
realizes that the door has been locked.  
  
Nick: (to himself) Edgar must have locked it when he came in.  
  
Nick unlocks the door and lets three very different, handsome,  
gentlemen in.  
  
Frank: Hey Charley, why was our room locked up? (All three men  
give Nick "the stare)  
  
Nick: Sorry about that sir. Edgar over there (points under the  
table) seems to be a bit paranoid at the time being, something  
about a raven or something. I guess he got scared and locked the  
door. (Gives the group an apologetic grin).  
  
Dean: Hey, it's all right kid, we understand. Now loosen up,  
this is supposed to be a party, right? (Dean puts a hand on  
Nicks' shoulder, squeezes then heads straight for the bar.)  
  
Dean doesn't stop AT the bar he goes on around and helps him-self.  
Nick looks at him almost in disbelief at what the man is doing.  
  
Dean: (pats the bartender on the shoulder as he walks by) Just  
helping myself to the usual Charley. (Pulls an unmarked bottle  
out from under the counter and pours himself a tall glass.) Hey  
Frank, you want me to pour you one? (Begins to pick up a bottle  
but stops at what Frank says).  
  
Frank: No thank you, I'll do it myself. Last time you fixed me a  
drink I was out of it for a week. (Picks up a bottle of Jack  
Daniels and pours himself a glass.)  
  
Dean: Ok, ok, you don't have to be so touchy. It's your world;  
I'm just living in it.  
  
Nick: (leans over to Sammy Davis Jr.) Are they always like this?  
  
Sammy: Of course they are, they are Italian.  
  
Frank: Watch it Sam  
  
Dean: (humming to himself then singing) Have you ever seen a Jew  
jitsu.  
  
Sammy: (Indignantly) Just wait a minute. How would you like it  
if I said. (Singing same tune) Have you ever seen a wapsicle?  
  
Dean: Hey!!!  
  
Nick: Hey guys, lets just relax and have a good time and wait  
for the rest of the guys to show up, okay.  
  
Sammy: (puts arm around Dean) Sure, can do.  
  
Dean: (removing Sammy's hand) Hey, hey, Sam...I'll golf with you,  
I'll sing with you, I'll dance with you, but don't touch me.  
  
Sammy laughs at what Dean has said. Frank and Dean love Sam like a  
brother no matter how much they pick on him.  
  
Frank: Hey Sam, how 'bout youse and me get this party started  
and do a number.  
  
Sam: Sure Frank, how 'bout "Me and My Shadow?" (Begins heading  
up on stage)  
  
Frank: (following suit with Sam) Sure Sam.  
  
Frank and Sammy begin to sing "Me and My Shadow" as more people begin  
to file in. It is nine o'clock in the evening. As soon as they finish  
their song they come back to the bar and finish off their drinks.  
  
Frank: (pulls out a new brand of cigarettes)  
  
Dean: What kind of cigarettes are those?  
  
Frank: (shows Dean the cigarette) LM  
  
Dean: What are those?  
  
Frank: Long Mother. They have this new triple filter. You could  
get a hernia just trying to get a puff out of it. (Lights up the  
cigarette and takes a drag).  
  
Nick: Ok guys, Tom should be showing up sometime soon. This is  
his night and we need to make it a memorable one. (Looks at  
Poe). Hey Edgar, you can come out now. I promise that the  
"raven" is gone. I would like you to meet Frank Sinatra, Dean  
Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.  
  
Poe: (stares at the men briefly and slowly gets up. He extends a  
hand after wiping off his suit with his hands) It is a pleasure  
that I will treasure. (Shakes hands with each member of the Rat  
Pack)  
  
As Nick introduces the Rat Pack to Edgar Allen Poe, Guy Montag walks  
in the club with Tom Joad not too far behind. Nick sees them coming  
and goes up to greet them.  
  
Nick: Welcome gentlemen. (Shakes Guy, and Tom's hands)  
  
Montag: (Pointing to Tom) I brought Tom with me because he said  
that he has never been in Las Vegas before so I decided that it  
would be best if I had brought him instead of letting him get  
lost in the city.  
  
Tom: (Nodding slowly) Yep, that's wha' I said. I ne'er been down  
here 'fore. All them large buildins' and all them lights jest  
blindin' ya as yas walk along the road. S'almost terrifin' at  
times.  
  
Nick: Since everyone is here why don't we go on ahead and sit  
down at our table and get this party rolling. (Leads the group  
to a large rectangular table in the middle of the room.)  
  
The group sits down at the table and begin to order their food and  
drinks. This is what they ordered.  
Frank—Steak marinated in Jack Daniels  
Dean—Salad and a chicken breast  
Sammy—Smoked Steak  
Tom—Grits and biscuits with gravy. Pork Chops and mashed  
potatoes.  
Montag—Burnt to a crisp hamburger with fries.  
Nick—Shrimp cocktail and clams.  
Edgar—Hard, crusty, bread and water.  
Once their food is brought to them they begin to get rowdy, as most  
bachelor parties do. Dean is "drunk" and Frank is going back and forth  
with Sammy and Dean. Montag is continually asking Edgar Allen Poe  
questions about books and Nick is talking about women with Tom while  
Tom eyes Sammy Davis Jr., a black man.  
Montag: (looks at Dean and then says to self) It's a shame that  
boy drinks that way he does.  
Dean: (looks dead at Guy) If I drank as much as you think I do,  
I would have been dead fifteen years ago. I don't drink anymore.  
I freeze it now and eat it like a Popsicle.  
Montag: So that makes you a drunk.  
Dean: (Leans into Montag) You just remember the great words of  
Joey Lewis. Your not drunk if you can lie on the floor without  
holding on.  
Montag realizes that while Dean leaned in to tell him these "important  
words" that he didn't smell liquor or alcohol on Dean at all. Dean saw  
this look of confusion on Montag's face and leaned in again.  
Dean: (Whispering) It's okay Montag. It's just apple juice.  
(gets back into the conversation going between Tom and Sammy)  
Sammy: So, Tom, ya finally getting hitched, what a romance, boy  
meets girl, girl finally notices boy and they fall in love. Hey  
Dean, why don't you sing, "Memories?" That would be a perfect  
song right about now for our man Tom over here.  
Dean: (to Sammy) Why don't you go put a nickel in the jukebox  
instead. (Gives Sam a sly grin and begins to get up.)  
Dean gets up on stage and adjusts the microphone to his height and  
nods to the orchestra director that he is ready. He begins to sing and  
croon as some young ladies in the audience fawn over him.  
Frank: (yells from the other side of the room at Dean) Hey there  
pally, whatcha trying to do? Corner the market on my bobby soxers.  
Dean grins on stage and continues singing anyway acting more like a  
crooner than before.  
Tom appreciates the song and gives Dean a firm handshake and a slap on  
the back.  
Tom: That there song was just dandy. Gets me all fluttery  
inside. Ne'er had that kind a feelin' 'fore. Not since I met ma  
girl.  
Sammy: (Grinning his famous grin) Well, isn't that just a gas.  
Tom: (looking at Sammy) What kind a person is you? You jest  
ain't the same as the rest of us. Where you from?  
Sammy: (in his mocking tone) I is from the United States, born  
and raised in Harlem.  
Tom: Are you mocking me?  
Sammy: No, I isn't. Jest doin' ma impressions of famous persons.  
Frank: Okay Sam that's enough.  
Sammy cuts it out and then apologizes to Tom for the way he had acted.  
But Tom is not quite as forgiving.  
Tom: I heard of y'all folk. Youse them black folk that jest  
don't seem to come of any good.  
Sammy: (very adamantly) I'm not black, I'm Jewish!  
Tom: (With a puzzled look on his face) Jewish? What's Jewish?  
These two continued to go at it for quite some time when Frank decided  
that that was enough. Tom had gone too far and he wasn't going to put  
up with his friend being treated like he was.  
Frank: (getting up from the head of the table) Hey guys, I think it's  
going to rain. Sorry fellas but this just isn't our scene. And don't  
expect us to be around too much with you guys. (Walks over to Tom) I  
don't like how you treated my pally. Next time you will regret doing  
it again. (Looks up at the rest of the group.) Ta-ta all.  
The Rat Pack leaves due to racial circumstances and other issues that  
would not be discussed. This left Nick, Tom, Guy Montag and Edgar  
Allen Poe to finish up the Party. As the party progressed the  
remaining men passed out gifts to Tom as a farewell to being single.  
This is what Tom received.  
From Montag--A fire place set, complete with screen, logs, matches,  
lighter, starter logs, paper, and a tool set.  
From Edgar Allen Poe—A copy of his complete works of poetry, every  
scary and depressing word.  
From Nick Carraway—Quite a few hundred dollars to use as Tom pleases.  
Other activities also took place; they did typical guy things that  
will not be repeated. They had some chicks come over and talk and  
hang with the group. They even had the corny girl popping out of a  
cake gag.  
As the party was winding down, Montag again was pestering Edgar with  
questions about books.  
Montag: So, help me understand this Annabel Lee thing and this  
Raven story.  
Poe: My Annabel Lee died at our Kingdom by the sea and the  
Raven, rapping and tapping at my chamber door, because of my  
lost Lenore.  
Montag: That doesn't help me any. No...I want to really  
understand...help me read them. I don't get it. Teach me. (Begins  
begging)  
Poe: (getting very frustrated, breaks dramatic depressing  
rhyming mood and lashes out at Montag) SHUT UP! I am tired of  
your questions and groveling to get me to "teach you." It isn't  
my fault you were raised in a society that BURNS books, I can't  
believe a thing could occur. I don't care. I am supposed to be a  
depressing type of man and I can't do so around you. Mr. Montag.  
Go to a self-help group, there is probably one out there for  
this problem of yours. Get help and then come see me when you  
aren't so eccentric. Good day sir, gentlemen. (With this  
outburst Poe flings his chair out from behind him and storms out  
of the club and down the street.)  
Montag is so shocked at what has just been said that he can't  
stand to stay and goes out in search for a self-help group.  
These two men leaving the party this leaves just Nick and Tom.  
Tom and Nick decide that since nobody is left that they should  
leave. Tom thanks Nick for hosting and putting on the party and  
shakes hands. After Tom leaves Nick pays the tab and heads back  
to his home to be alone and asses his emotional damage. 


End file.
